Solar collection facilities utilize solar concentrators and/or photovoltaic panels for harnessing solar energy. Solar concentrator assemblies (SCAs) utilizing movable parabolic trough collectors present large reflective surface areas (apertures) for tracking the sun and focusing the captured radiant energy on linear heat collection elements (HCEs) as a first step in a thermomechanical conversion process for generating electrical power. A solar-trough solar power generation facility typically includes many SCAs arranged in rows to capture great amounts of solar radiant energy.
A typical arrangement for an SCA is to have a row of solar trough assemblies track the sun utilizing a single-axis drive mechanism located at a central region of the SCA with a group of trough assemblies, such as six trough assemblies, connected in coaxial serial alignment on either side of the drive mechanism, or center drive unit. Typically, a drive mechanism for an SCA has been one of an electric drive motor, a drum and cable device, a rack or worm gear drive, or a hydraulic device consisting of two hydraulic cylinders configured in parallel to one another, such as in a V-shape with a common pivot point at the bottom, and one of the cylinders primarily used for pushing, and the other cylinder primarily used for pulling. Problems with such currently used drive devices, however, include inconsistent forces, poor reliability and durability, high cost, very high hydraulic fluid pressures, high tracking errors due to a short moment arm, and loss of solar collection due to large device widths creating shadowed regions on the HCE.